Aphaeresis

(499 words)

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Abstract

Aphaeresis, or prodelision, refers to the elision of a short word-initial a or e preceded by a long word-final vowel.

In Ancient Greek aphaeresis, or prodelision, refers to the elision of a short word-initial a or e preceded by a long word-final vowel. It occurs mainly in poetry (particularly drama) and archaic prose inscriptions. Aphaeresis is rarer than crasis or elision, two other phenomena related to vowel contact across word boundaries (Prosody).